There are certain summers that stick with you—not because everything went smoothly, but because life had a way of handing you exactly the lessons you needed. My internship in the state of Washington, the summer of 1980, was one of those. Back then, I was a junior at Iowa State, trying to line up all the things I thought would guarantee a good job after graduation: solid grades, some campus involvement, and most importantly, that golden ticket on any engineering résumé—an internship in your field. So I spent the spring sending out application after application, collecting a thick stack of rejection letters in return. It became routine enough that some days I’d find myself laughing at how efficiently companies could say “No thanks.” My dorm room wall was full of “flush letters” and I treated it like it was a badge of honor.
A Tactical Approach
to the Future
A Tactical Approach
to the Future
A lighthouse serves one simple but profound purpose: To guide sailors safely through uncertainty. It warns of dangers, provides orientation, and offers a single point of focus to navigate through storms or darkness. The conditions may change, but the lighthouse never does.
In 2012, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shared this insight about building for the future:
"I very frequently get the question: 'What’s going to change in the next 10 years?' And that is a very interesting question; it’s a very common one. I almost never get the question: 'What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?' And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two."
The lesson: It's easy to focus on what will change, but in a world where it's unlikely you will be correct, it's more important to focus on what will stay the same.
Focus on the lighthouse.Here are a few timeless human truths that will not change in the future:
Humans will want real, personal connection
Humans will want to consume things that make them feel good
Humans will be seeking meaning, purpose, and clarity
Humans will pay for things that reduce friction
Humans will seek out status and improved social positioning
Humans will be insecure
These truths are the lighthouse. Further, there are timeless skills—those that are likely to remain valuable and relevant across a wide array of future states.
I call these Lighthouse Skills:
Sales: Sales is the most useful meta-skill for life. No matter what path you choose to go down, you need to learn to sell: Sell yourself, sell your story, sell your product, sell your vision, sell your ideas. My richest friends aren't the ones with the highest IQs. They just know how to sell. They aren't afraid of being told no. They keep refining the message until they get to a yes.
Storytelling: Become exceptional at aggregating data and communicating it simply and effectively. Data in, story out. Learn to pick up on cues from listeners that signal the story is connecting (eyes lighting up, leaning in posture, etc.). Iterate accordingly.
Clear Communication: The ability to clearly communicate (with computers and humans) is going to stand out. AI is going to amplify the output capacity of the clear communicator by 100x.
Emotional Intelligence: Human interpersonal skills are arguably going to become the most important skills in a future where more and more of our lives are run through technology. The ability to create meaningful, real connection with other humans will stand out even more than it does today. Note: I plan to write a full piece on how to become more emotionally intelligent. Reply YES if you're interested in reading it!
Public Speaking: Strong, confident public speaking builds authority and improves status. It's not just about presentations in front of a large audience. It applies to normal conversations and small group settings just as much as the huge conference hall.
Taste: Good taste is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It requires a level of forward-thinking to be in front of trends to capture value before the market squeezes out the opportunity.
Clear Thinking: Gather data, process it thoughtfully, make a decision, iterate accordingly. Avoid the "that's just the way we do things" mentality and question underlying assumptions. As the pace of change accelerates, maintaining rational, clear thinking will be more valuable than ever before.
The goal is to focus on developing a set of skills and attributes that are relevant and valuable in a range of potential futures. These Lighthouse Skills pass the test. Please consider this a dynamic list—part of embracing uncertainty is being willing to adjust, add, or edit without apprehension. No dogmas, just action.
Excerpt from "The Curiosity Chronicle" by Sahil Bloom dated 1/2/2025.
We respect your privacy and will never share your information.
You can unsubscribe at any time with just one click - no hassle, no questions asked.
Leave a Comment 👋
Leave a Comment 👋
Leave a Comment 👋
Leave a Comment 👋
The Internship That Changed Everything
Long Lake Summers
There are seasons in life you don’t see coming—chapters that don’t announce themselves with fanfare, yet settle so deeply into your memory that years later you can still smell the lake water, feel the pull of the tow rope, and hear the hum of a boat engine echoing across a still summer evening. For me, one of those chapters began the moment I graduated from Iowa State in May of 1981 and took my first real job at 3M. I was barely 22, carrying that mix of confidence and cluelessness that only a new graduate can pull off, and ready to step into the adult world.
Hero of the Beach
When I think back to my childhood— maybe around nine years old—there’s a very specific smell, a very specific feeling, that comes rushing back: the scent of ink and old paper from a stack of Marvel comic books. It’s funny how memory works. I can’t remember what I ate last Tuesday, but I can still picture—clear as day—the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #56 with the Daily Bugle headlines screaming "Spidey joins Doc Ock" sitting on the floor of my bedroom, or the way the corner store rack looked when I spun it, hoping for a new issue of anything with the red-and-blue web-slinger on the front.